A Cup of CAFA: Some thoughts from Carolyn

Probably the greatest desire of my life, especially in these later years is to help create a safer place for children here in Lane County. But how do we do that? Well one of CAFA’s priorities is to start by helping create safer parents. I feel so privileged and pleased to be able to work with so many who have walked through CAFA’s doors in order to get help. Some of these have come voluntarily and others have been mandated by the courts but either way these are people who have decided to walk differently in the world than they had in the past. It’s a joy to see how responsive they are to CAFA’s input into their lives.

I’m still amazed that for so long agencies that dealt with domestic violence treated parents badly- disrespectfully or judgmentally. As I observed this phenomenon the question came to me- Does treating these parents badly help them to treat their children better? Obviously my conclusion was- No.

At CAFA we believe that each one of our clients should receive:

1. Sincere curiosity
2. Sympathetic listening
3. Non judgmental intervention

These are cornerstones of CAFA’s philosophy and in over twenty years of service, we’ve watched these three elements work wonders in the lives of countless men, women and children.

CAFA is also honored to have been asked to be a participant in the Lane County 90X30 Initiative. The Initiative’s goal is to reduce child abuse in Lane County by 90% by the year 2030. I believe what we’re doing at CAFA can not only contribute to this effort but can even be a model for other organizations as we join together to eliminate child abuse in Lane County, Oregon and across the country.

I’m so glad you came to visit CAFA’s website and I hope you’ll find the ever changing content helpful in your daily life and encouraging to you in your various relationships.

Blessings, Carolyn